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A good ball glove can have a big effect on youth’s enjoyment of playing baseball and even about whether baseball is a worthwhile sport for them to participate in. Kids could be playing many other sports, and in fact, participation in basketball and soccer is growing fast in the US. There’s no better summer sport or pastime than baseball though. It has a rich American tradition that other sports don’t possess and that’s an important part of your own child’s sports experience.

Baseball is a game that is dependent on equipment though, and if the equipment is poor quality or in doesn’t suit the kids using them, it can dampen their enthusiasm for little league baseball. It’s important to buy youth baseball gloves for your child, not small adult baseball gloves which will discourage your youngster.

They had poor equipment back in the old days, including rotted out or horribly stiff leather gloves. Some would actually throw the glove down and try to catch with their bare hands. It may not be that bad today, but in visiting your local sporting goods store, you’ve probably wondered about the quality of the gloves on the store shelves. Some are weird shapes and feel uncomfortable and the selection is many times limited.

The Good Old Days

Have you ever wondered whether baseball glove manufacturers are producing better ball gloves now than in decades past? Well, if you happen to have an old baseball glove still around and compare it to modern youth baseball gloves, you’ll notice a big difference. Those old gloves didn’t make catching and fielding easy for infielders, outfielders and especially catchers. You actually had to have some outstanding athletic skills and knowledge of catching to make a catch. In those days, you used both hands to catch a ball because you had to.

That’s not to say these new gloves are suited to the ball player that’s using them. These kids range in physical size greatly, and play different positions. The child that has a new, well-fitted glove is going to catch the ball better and play with a lot more confidence.

Young ball players with their metal bats are hitting the ball hard, so infielders and outfielders need good gloves just to catch them, let alone throw the runner out at first. We shouldn’t just assume that any glove would do for our child. Each youngster has their own level of coordination and confidence, along with their own style and preferences, and fortunately, there are so many types and styles of gloves available now, that you should be able to find one they like. You don’t see kids get hurt often but it does happen and it will happen more often with the child that feels uncomfortable with the baseball equipment they’re using.

Bad Bounces

Last week, while watching a youth baseball game (11 year olds) a batter hit a ball hard up the middle, fortunately missing the pitcher. The ball hit the side of the mound and bounced up to hit the base umpire in the shoulder. She was hurt and lay on the ground several minutes before getting up. That highlighted well, the speed the balls are reaching and that the young infielder playing with awkward baseball glove is going to playing with fear. Yes, some fear is good, as it keeps them sharp and makes the game exciting, but too much fear and they’re going to get discouraged.

Many of the kids on these teams have gloves that are too small, and overwhelmingly, you see their reluctance to catch well-hit grounders. They generally wave at it going by them and sigh in relief that it wasn’t hit right at them. One youngster in the outfield ran to make a diving catch only to have the ball pop out of his glove. They used to see that if your glove touched a ball, you should have caught it and it is an error for you. When a ball is in your glove, it should stay in there. In this kid’s case, the ball was clearly in his glove and yet it popped out. The reason for that is that the glove didn’t fit his hand and the web wouldn’t close tightly.

He walked dejectedly back to centerfield, his position, and cursed at himself for dropping it. It was like a scene out of a Charlie Brown episode. If he’d hung onto that ball, he would have been walking on clouds and be the pride of the team. I don’t have to tell you how important peer pressure is with kids these days and when kids never catch the ball, it can deflate the team and even the crowd of parents watching the game. Sometimes, it’s downright torture to watch a ball game if the kids can’t catch or throw properly.

Young pitchers too, can have trouble throwing strikes, and after walking batter after batter, you can sense disappointment. The glove on the pitcher’s hand acts as a counterbalance when throwing and if it doesn’t feel comfortable for him, you may be in for a long inning.

A fair number of kids come from homes that can’t afford a new glove every year and they may not be able to afford baseball shoes. If there’s one piece of equipment you need to focus on for youth baseball players, it has to be the glove. Your child is out there standing for half of the game, with this glove on their hand. If it’s uncomfortable, and doesn’t fit, that has to take some of the enjoyment out of it.

There’s a mind-boggling array of youth baseball brands out there to choose from Rawling, Mizuno, Wilson, Spalding, Rawlings, Nokona, Akadema, Kelly, Nike, Louisville, SSK and more. The problem with many of these big brand names is not only the inflated prices associated with these brands, it’s the weight and stiffness of the gloves. The materials and the stitching are sewn well enough. They aren’t designed with kids in mind who after all, don’t have time to break the glove in. Within one year, they will have likely outgrown the glove, so what’s the point of buying a glove like that? The glove ends up unused in a closet or on the garage floor becoming a nuisance object.

There are many ways to ensure that your players perform better on the baseball diamond. It is important that baseball coaches are aware of coaching tips that they can impart to their players. You will see that these youth baseball coaching tips will make a difference in the performance of your team and your enjoyment of the season.

Here are a few youth baseball coaching tips that will improve the team’s play:

Defensive Mentality – One of the premier youth baseball coaching tips concerns itself with your team’s defensive mentality. You must ensure, as a coach, that your team is prepared defensively on what to do with the ball on every pitch to the plate. The best preparation is to instruct your players to ask themselves these questions prior to every pitch when they are out on the field, and the opposing team is up at bat. The question is: “What do I do if I get the ball on the ground, in the air, and on a line.” Your players should also remind themselves about the number of outs, often talking on the field to make sure the team is on the same page. These defensive mentality questions will keep your players more alert and prepared to make the correct play if the ball is hit their way.

Pitch to the Target – One of the better youth baseball coaching tips concerns pitchers and their focus. One of the keys in pitching is to throw to the catcher’s target. You must instruct your pitchers to key their eyes focused on the catcher’s glove throughout their windup and through the release of the ball. Many pitchers lose eye contact with the catcher’s glove, accounting for their inaccurate pitches. Similarly, a catcher should practice giving the right target for the pitcher and learn how to frame the pitch to help his pitcher be successful. Often catching technique is overlooked and it is wise to prepare a good array of youth baseball catcher’s drills.

Focus on the Release Point – One of the best youth baseball coaching tips concerns itself with the discipline of hitting. A key to hitting is the ability to pick up the speed and spin of the ball as it leaves the pitcher’s hand. As a coach, you must instruct your hitters to focus on the release point of the pitcher. The focus needs to concentrate on the ball as it comes out of the pitcher’s hand. Batters must not allow themselves to be duped by a fancy windup or other deceptive attempts on the part of the pitcher to hide the ball from the batter until it is released. The later that the ball is picked up by the batter, the less time for the batter to identity the type, speed and location of the pitch as it travels to the plate.

While this is just a quick distillation of basic youth baseball coaching tips focusing on fielding, pitching and hitting, it is surprising how often baseball coaches lose focus of these basics. There are many elaborate baseball drill libraries on the Internet such as those at Weplay. While a coach should select a variety of age-appropriate drills for coaching his team, focusing on these basics and making them fun for the team will often lead to greater success.

So your child plays baseball and you want him or her to have the best baseball gear like youth baseball bats. Of course you need to make sure that he or she has the appropriate baseball equipment so they can play at their best. Since the primary equipment that your child should have is a baseball bat, it is important to choose the right one. When choosing youth baseball bats, it is essential to consider the length, weight, width and league requirements. These factors are the key to choosing the perfect baseball bat that will fit your child’s playing ability. Though there are a whole lot of choices in the market, today, finding the right one can be very beneficial.It is recommended to choose baseball bats that are the lightest for their length but you also need to make sure that this is not an issue with the league your child is playing in. Some leagues require that this should not be more than minus 10. For example, if the bat is 29 inches in length it cannot weigh less than 19 ounces. Choosing the right weight to length will make sure that your child gets maximum swing speed. However, light youth baseball bats cost more than heavier baseball bats that are often made from thicker and cheaper-grade aluminum or wood. While wood baseball bats are available and are also inexpensive, aluminum or cutting-edge alloy youth baseball bats are a better choice because of their lighter weight and they are a lot less likely to crack.Another factor that should be considered is the length. It is important to understand that the longer the bat, the more plate coverage your child will have. However, longer bats are usually heavier. It is important that when choosing the right length to make sure that your child can reach the outside of the plate. If they crowd the plate too much they have a higher chance of getting hit with the pitch. This can cause them to be scared of the ball and start backing out before the pitch reaches the plate. Aside from the length, another thing that needs to be considered is the youth baseball bats barrel size. Baseball is a game of inches. The bigger the barrel the better. Bigger barrels allow your child to get more bat on the ball. Note that most youth baseball leagues require that the bat should be no more than 2 and 5/8 inches in diameter.Choosing youth baseball bats can be a hard job and if you don’t know what you are looking for, you might not choose the best youth baseball bat for your child. Shopping can be a real headache because you usually cannot try out the bat before you buy it. Most sporting goods stores will not have batting cages inside of them. It’s a good thing to have your child try another child’s bat out to find the right length to weight ratio before you buy if possible.For you to have the right picture of what youth baseball bats are right for your child, you can look for professional help online by simply browsing the internet for detailed information on the bat you are thinking about purchasing.

Choosing the right youth baseball bats size for a little league baseball player is quite a headache. It may seem so simple, but the real dilemma of finding the perfect bat really requires your meticulousness. To help you out in this chaos, this article will give you a brief overview on what to look for in youth baseball bats. The player’s height and weight matters in picking the right one. However, this is not always applicable since a little leaguer ages and grows fast. Their bodies and strength don’t always match their age. So, you need to put into consideration these factors when choosing the correct youth baseball bats.Some tips for choosing the right youth baseball batsHere are some tips that will help you in making the right decision on picking youth bats. First thing you need to keep in mind, which is the easiest, is to have the little league player swing several different bats. By doing so, you can instantly eliminate youth baseball bats that are not appropriate, like bats that are too long or too heavy for them to handle. Little league players are often drawn by the idea that bigger is better. They do not know that this is far from the truth. Once you have determined that the player is taking level swings, you can proceed to the next level of assessment and that is to gauge the child’s strength.Generally, it is recommended to use the lightest youth baseball bats as they allow for the best control and swing power. But the problem is that, this does not apply to every child. Most little league players prefer aluminum or composite youth baseball bats because of their lighter weight. However, because they are too light, players sometimes loose control swinging them, thus resulting to over swinging the bat. This means that the player exceeds through the zone and loses bat control. Once players fail to control the bat, they may begin to develop an uppercut swing meaning that they start to swing up at the ball. In this case, it is wise that you pick youth baseball bats with some length and that are slightly heavier.Youth Baseball Bats: Additional TipsAdditionally, if the swings mechanics are level but the player is constantly topping the ball, it is recommended to keep the same length bat and choose youth baseball bats that are an ounce or two lighter. Generally, little league bats length follows the ratio of 1:2.15. This means that for every 2.15 inches of the player’s height, there should be one inch of bat length. For example, a 5 foot player should approximately hold a bat that is 28″. With this in mind, choosing the appropriate bat can be easier.Aside from the player’s height, which is used to identify what youth baseball bats are accurate to use, the weight of the bat also really matters. Weight is an important aspect that you can easily determine. By simply allowing the player to swing, you can evaluate if the bat is best for use. Another thing that should be considered when choosing little league bats is the child’s rapid growth. At this stage of child development, the youngster’s body is growing quicker hence they can handle slightly shorter youth baseball bats while still getting maximum plate coverage.

There are many valuable youth baseball conditioning techniques to increase your players’ abilities by maximizing their strength, range of motion, and flexibility. Just as a car can only travel as fast as its engine will allow, in like manner, baseball players can only perform to the degree that their bodies will allow. If coaches, parents and mentors ensure that their players are involved in recommended youth baseball conditioning training, they will be increasing their players’ chances to fulfil their maximum potential.

Here are some advised youth baseball conditioning techniques that are recommended for youth baseball coaches for the development of their players:

Pitching Better through Swimming – Swimming can actually strengthen the shoulder muscles and enable pitchers to throw the baseball harder while protecting pitchers from devastating shoulder injuries. It is recommended that pitchers swim in free style for two minutes with a series of 4 repetitions. If the player can not swim, then the pitcher can stand waist deep in water under adult supervision and push the water away from the body with a hard thrust and fingers spread apart. This should be repeated for 2 minutes at a time.

Sprint to Success – One of the traditional youth baseball training programs remains the best. Players need to build up their endurance in order to play the entire game with strength and energy. Wind sprints are the best way for youth baseball players to build up their endurance and, at the same time, bond with their teammates. If your players run wind sprints as a team or in bunches, such as pitchers, catchers, infielders and outfielders, you will be building up their endurance and the team will become closer as a unit. Ten 60 yard sprints are a good way to start, and you can lengthen the distance and repetitions over time.

Squeeze that Ball – Another simple youth baseball conditioning exercise can be done everywhere from the ball field to the schoolyard and even to bed. Baseball players can increase their wrist strength by squeezing a rubber Spalding ball. Yes, these pink balls are still of infinite value to baseball players – pitchers, to increase the speed of their pitch; hitters by increasing their bat speed and, therefore, the distance of their drives; and fielders by increasing the strength of their throws.

Stretch Before Games – Stretching and warm-ups are a key element of baseball conditioning training protocols to prevent injuries. Prior to every game and practice, baseball coaches should lead their team in a regular series of stretching and warm-up exercises for at least 10-12 minutes. Before the players begin playing baseball, make sure to cover all major muscle groups including shoulders, legs, arms, hips, and back.

Of course these are just a few, simple youth baseball conditioning exercises among many. Baseball coaches should be familiar with a wide variety of exercises and should weave these into a more holistic conditioning training plan that is appropriate to the age of their players.

Combined with a variety of baseball drills that make the game fun and build the fundamental skills needed to play, a strong baseball conditioning training regimen will ensure that players reach the top of their game and avoid unnecessary injury.

Youth baseball leagues are up and running across North America, and around the globe. The game is very popular in Japan, Taiwan, Mexico, the Caribbean, and in South America. Millions of kids look forward to playing on their local teams. It’s a chance to meet new friends, travel to other parks or cities, and to be on a ball team. It’s the camaraderie that makes playing baseball a fun event.

The practicing however is often a different matter, especially catching baseballs. In what is a pretty easygoing sport, kids have to catch baseballs moving along a good clip. They’ll have to learn catching skills, such as fielding balls that will bounce along with ground unpredictably or line drives that move toward them at a high speed. They may be kids, but some can hit the ball very well. For the kid that doesn’t know how to catch properly or doesn’t have a very good glove, there are few more angst-ridden activities than catching baseballs.

Leather baseball gloves have been around a long time. If you’ve been to the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame, you may have seen some unusual looking antique gloves and wondered how they could have caught a baseball with them. For those of us old timers who have been around long enough to actually use some of those antique gloves, we can tell you that it was not easy. They were stiff, heavy, clumsy, and tough to manipulate with your hand when they were new, and it wasn’t long before they wore out to a limp clump of hide that often let the ball fly right through it. Catching was an art, and stinging fingers and bruised shins were all part of the experience of playing youth baseball.

Youth Baseball Gloves

With those stiff or floppy youth baseball gloves, you’d wonder why kids didn’t give up on the game. Well, truth is, many youths wouldn’t play baseball or gave up for that very reason. They didn’t want to have any part of trying to catch a hot, bobbling grounder on uneven ground. Kids are the same way today. If it’s too unpleasant to use the equipment and play the game the way it is meant to be played, then they might think, “why bother?”

New Baseball Gloves and New Materials

Glove manufacturers today have designed them so they’re ready to play with. Instead of stiff, thick cowhide leather composing the whole glove, modern kids ball gloves are made of numerous materials including pigskin. Cowhide may be used where it is needed most, but these gloves are designed for comfort and performance. They almost feel like they can catch the ball themselves.

The design of youth baseball gloves is done with the child’s hand eye coordination and physical skills in mind. The physical skill of an adult means adult gloves can be made differently depending on the nature of the position they play, and with more webbing to allow them to snare baseballs a little more easily. A child’s finger dexterity and strength aren’t fully developed, so they’re not going to be able to use a glove with the skill of an older youth or adult ball player. There are gloves for young tots, something that couldn’t be done decades ago.

Additional helpful features of today’s youth baseball gloves, such as anti-microbial treatments, which keep bacteria at bay. It’s hot in the summer and your child’s hand will sweat inside the glove.

Franklin Sports Gloves

With the physiology and coordination of youth ball players in mind, Franklin Sports has designed a wide range of quality youth baseball gloves. Their leather ball gloves range in size and styles but all are designed for comfort in how they fit the child’s hand and how the leather is stitched. The result is an outstanding ball glove that will feel like a natural extension of the child’s arm. On models for older youths, the gloves are all leather with deep pockets and lengths up to 12.5 inches. That’s plenty of glove for making tough catches.

With a Franklin baseball glove, your child won’t have the same frustration or soreness from learning new baseball skills. Perhaps they’ll avoid the stinging fingers, summer sweat that sees smelly bacteria forming inside the glove, and bruised shins that take some of the fun out of playing. A good glove won’t rid your child of those embarrassing moments when they miss a catch, but it will increase their comfort level. They’ll be able to relax and they’ll be more confident that they can learn their fielding skills.

Teaching youth baseball is a rewarding experience for both parents and coaches alike. While parents have an obvious investment in the teaching of the fundamentals of the sport of baseball to their children, coaches, make a significant investment of their own in time, effort and emotion. From a personal perspective, one of the greatest rewards is indeveloping relationships with and positively affecting the lives of individual youth baseball players. The lessons of sports such as in baseball are positive and well documented. For coaches, there are also the internal rewards they get from seeing each player develop and from watching a youth baseball team improve as a group and learn to play together under their coaching tutelage.

Astute coaches improve the performance of the team as a whole by employing youth baseball drills to improve the individual performances of team players and there interactions together. There are three main categories in which youth baseball drills will have an immense effect on the performance levels of players.

Youth Batting Drills – one of the most important of the youth baseball drills. The vast majority of youth baseball players have the most fun when they hit. The better they are able to hit, the more fun that they will have, and the greater their interest in the sport of baseball. Coaches and parents who teach baseball drills in batting must stress the importance of a well-balanced stance that is comfortable for the individual player, picking the ball up as it leaves the pitcher’s hand, and keeping the body weight back until the pitch is delivered.

Youth Fielding Drills – an integral part of teaching the defensive position. Of course, there are sets of baseball fielding drills that are unique to each of the nine fielding positions in the game of baseball. However, there are baseball drills common to all fielding positions. One of the key youth baseball drills in catching ground balls is to keep the fingers of the fielding glove on the ground for ground balls, and raising the glove to catch the ball on the bounce, instead of lowering the glove. Another one of the instructional keys to fielding is to catch the thrown or batted ball with the wrist in an upward position for balls at or above the waist, and to turn the wrist upside down to catch balls below the waist. There are many ways to take a single drill and apply it so the whole team can practice at once.

Youth Throwing Drills – the most basic of all youth baseball drills, and many instructors feel that it is the most important fundamental of all. It is vital for parents to make sure that their children develop proper throwing techniques from the time they can throw a baseball, around the age of eight or so. The importance of throwing a baseball with proper grip can not be overestimated. Youth throwing drills must emphasize four important elements: Throw the ball by gripping it with the index finger and middle finger on the ball; point your shoulder opposite from your throwing hand in the direction of your target; step in the direction of your target when you release the ball; and follow through after you release the ball with your back leg so that both legs are parallel upon the completion of the throw.

You can find many youth baseball drills on the Internet covering hitting, fielding and throwing. Some drills are free and some require subscription or for you to order a DVD. Free baseball drills allow you greater flexibility in trying a variety and see what works best for you as the coach and your youth baseball team. Always remember that drills should be age appropriate. The right fielding drill for a 14 year-old boy will not suit and 8-year old and vice versa.

There are many baseball coaching resources and communities like Weplay available to help with any questions you might have. Don’t underestimate the passion of the community around you. We are all here to help the kids.

There may be times when you are pressured to come up with great presents for the kids and the youth that are close to you. Fanciful gifts are usually out of the question in these trying times; and some gaming consoles and games are beyond reach. So what special gifts are cheaper yet the youth will also enjoy? How about going down to the basics and go for sporting goods accessories that never go out of style. A great gift any time of the yearMost youth baseball bats will come in a lot cheaper than traditional gifts plus playing the game will promote a healthier body. If you like the good points of getting a bat as a gift, then you need to do some research first to know the different considerations that come into play when selecting the right one. If the bat is going to be used in little league, then most of the time, the bats are going to be made of aluminum and the weight to length ratio should not be greater than minus ten. For example, if the bat is thirty inches long and weighs 20 ounces then the bat could be used in little league.  If you are not sure about your league rules then you should ask an official what their official rules are.Choose depending on the needs and the intention of the playerThe different materials used in making the youth baseball bats also make a difference. If they are made from aluminum then you can expect them to be lighter and most importantly, more powerful than the traditional wood-based bat. With this in mind it is imperative that you ask the recipient first where he or she will use the bat and if possible ask also the preferred material in the league he or she is in. The measurement and the weight of the bat will also come into play. When these factors are taken into consideration, then the perfect match of youth baseball bats can be chosen and the only thing that the recipient has to worry about will be how to perfect his or her swing. Choose the right length and weightIn terms of measurement of the youth baseball bats, it is suggested to take a good look at the length of the bat. If the bat is long, the player will be able to cover more of the hitting zone. And if it is lighter, then this can allow the player to have a more powerful swing which means the ball can travel faster and farther. Look out for the presence of the thick barrel on the bat. This will normally allow the player to hit the ball harder and cover more of the hitting zone. Simply put the right choice will all boil down to the batting style and size of the player. Baseball bats are widely available in the market now and offered by many brands. Look at this in a positive manner since you can actually choose and compare the best prices of the bats. Shopping can be done online or you can do it the usual way. No matter where you find your next youth baseball bats, make sure you do the research to find the best match.

There may be times when you are pressured to come up with great presents for the kids and the youth that are close to you. Fanciful gifts are usually out of the question in these trying times; and some gaming consoles and games are beyond reach. So what special gifts are cheaper yet the youth will also enjoy? How about going down to the basics and go for sporting goods accessories that never go out of style. A great gift any time of the yearMost youth baseball bats will come in a lot cheaper than traditional gifts plus playing the game will promote a healthier body. If you like the good points of getting a bat as a gift, then you need to do some research first to know the different considerations that come into play when selecting the right one. If the bat is going to be used in little league, then most of the time, the bats are going to be made of aluminum and the weight to length ratio should not be greater than minus ten. For example, if the bat is thirty inches long and weighs 20 ounces then the bat could be used in little league.  If you are not sure about your league rules then you should ask an official what their official rules are.Choose depending on the needs and the intention of the playerThe different materials used in making the youth baseball bats also make a difference. If they are made from aluminum then you can expect them to be lighter and most importantly, more powerful than the traditional wood-based bat. With this in mind it is imperative that you ask the recipient first where he or she will use the bat and if possible ask also the preferred material in the league he or she is in. The measurement and the weight of the bat will also come into play. When these factors are taken into consideration, then the perfect match of youth baseball bats can be chosen and the only thing that the recipient has to worry about will be how to perfect his or her swing. Choose the right length and weightIn terms of measurement of the youth baseball bats, it is suggested to take a good look at the length of the bat. If the bat is long, the player will be able to cover more of the hitting zone. And if it is lighter, then this can allow the player to have a more powerful swing which means the ball can travel faster and farther. Look out for the presence of the thick barrel on the bat. This will normally allow the player to hit the ball harder and cover more of the hitting zone. Simply put the right choice will all boil down to the batting style and size of the player. Baseball bats are widely available in the market now and offered by many brands. Look at this in a positive manner since you can actually choose and compare the best prices of the bats. Shopping can be done online or you can do it the usual way. No matter where you find your next youth baseball bats, make sure you do the research to find the best match.

You can have the best youth baseball league in theory, but unless you can translate this theory into practice, then all your efforts have been wasted. Once you have your winter or pre-season youth league meeting, designate the coaches and have the league administration in place, you need to set up a fundraising committee.If you are the league director, the obligation of funding your youth baseball league falls squarely upon your shoulders. Once you have set up a fundraising committee, figure out your expenses and your income for the upcoming campaign. Once you have done that, you will know how much money you need for the upcoming season.Here are some simple youth baseball fundraising ideas that can help your league have a successful campaign:

There are many tried and true methods to raise funds for youth leagues, but don’t be afraid to think out-of-the-box for your youth baseball fundraising ideas. Remember to appeal to people’s emotional connection to sports and to kids so that we all remember that this is time and money well spent. Looking back at our own lives, we all know that it is.